My paintings emerge from quiet observation, with special attention to the relationship between space, atmosphere, and light. Painting is a meditation and a chosen language I am comfortable sharing and using to interpret natural and built environments. With landscapes, cities, and architecture, I have learned elements have their own story. Revealing the spatial quality of places through my painting as I experience them. My visceral experience is articulated via painting and drawing to portray the character of each place I have witnessed. My work focuses on atmospheric paintings that evoke a sense of authenticity and the experiential dimension. Mine is not a descriptive approach but rather an emotional and provocative reaction to places. My paintings portray personality through the character of my brushwork and by accepting the medium’s nature, leading to the outcomes. Simplicity in my paintings is the goal. Ultimately, the act of painting is the gateway to embodied experience.
Bio
My name is Otto Chanyakorn. I was born in a rural area of northeast Thailand. Growing up in the farmland of my father, I spent most of my childhood outdoors, and that has influenced me to love Plein Air painting. Earning my undergraduate degree in architecture in Thailand and a master’s degree in the US has led me to work in the field of architecture. I currently work as an assistant professor at Kansas State University. Combining my love of painting and my educational background is my approach to watercolor painting. I began my professorship with KSU in the fall of 2019. In 2020, I was awarded the Gabriel Prize by Western European Architecture. I was recently awarded by The Civitas Institute, based in Seattle, Washington, and Civita, Italy, The 2023 Drexler Family Diversity Fellowship.
I regularly teach architecture students to draw and paint to diversify their approach to design and creativity. Taking students to do on-site painting and sketching is a joyful thing for me. Experiencing architecture, places, and towns through a slow process of watercolor painting is a wonderful part of being. The opportunities to travel and learn of places across cultural boundaries are the primary motif of my painting.